Within the core territory of the Yinsha Sect, Lei Dong guided the Ghost Shroud, gliding low above the ground at a deliberately moderate pace.

Seated cross-legged, he allowed the protective barriers of Gang Qi to dissipate, savoring the sensation of the moderately warm breeze brushing across his face. Gazing upon the familiar peaks and valleys, a distinct sense of ease settled in his heart. Even the air carried a familiar scent, allowing him to relish the aroma of his homeland after many days away.

Several hours later, twilight began to settle.

Through the gathering gloom ahead, a massive city emerged. Its walls were towering, radiating an aura of dark, cold permanence, guarded by several monstrous, menacing fire-artillery cannons that inspired awe and dread.

Myriad Ghost City—this was the principal city directly subordinate to the Myriad Ghost Cave of the Yinsha Sect. The majority of the mortals residing here lived entirely reliant upon the Cave, providing essential logistical support for the disciples of the Myriad Ghost Cave. Naturally, many disciples, once achieving some measure of success, would bring their families to reside within Myriad Ghost City. Lei Dong was one such person.

Strictly speaking, including the years he spent away on missions, Lei Dong had not returned to visit his parents in nearly two decades. Had he not heard from the Heavenly Demon confirming his parents were healthy, he couldn't fathom the turmoil in his own heart.

At this moment, Lei Dong employed the Breath Concealment Art passed down from the ancient era, inherited from Tantai Bingyun. It was truly wondrous in its application. He had completely suppressed his powerful Core Formation aura, appearing outwardly as a mere cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. The subtlety of this technique was such that even the powerful Heavenly Demon could not perceive its depths; she was confident that even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could not see through Lei Dong’s concealment. As for the late stage, that was beyond even the Heavenly Demon’s current comprehension.

The Heavenly Demon ultimately accepted the two top-grade Spirit Ghosts Lei Dong offered and, following his suggestion, immediately began the arduous process of refining and nurturing them. Given the Heavenly Demon’s cultivation, succeeding in refining these two top-grade Spirit Ghosts might elevate them directly to the status of Ghost Generals, influenced by the quality of her own vital blood. With careful subsequent training and the willingness to feed them high-grade flesh and living souls, the time until they advanced to Ghost King would be brief. When that happened, the Heavenly Demon's strength would more than double.

For the current Lei Dong, the Heavenly Demon’s increased strength naturally translated into his own, carrying no psychological burden. Furthermore, had this been in the past, offering her such valuable Spirit Ghosts would have brought many reservations. But now, he was absolutely certain the Heavenly Demon would never betray him. Indeed, this was the case; although the Heavenly Demon was curious about the origin of the two top-grade Spirit Ghosts, she ultimately asked no further questions. To her, no matter what Lei Dong became, he was her man—a fact that would never change until the heavens and earth ceased to exist.

On his own turf, Lei Dong had no intention of causing a disturbance. Instead, with dignified grace, he steered the Ghost Shroud down to the city gate and entered in an orderly fashion.

As he landed, Lei Dong was startled to find that in just under twenty years, Myriad Ghost City had undergone significant changes. Clearly visible on the battlements were two imposing magic cannons. Such items were incredibly valuable; previously, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had lacked the wealth even to arm common mortal cities with such weaponry. Moreover, why would Myriad Ghost City, nestled deep within Yinsha Sect territory, require cannons?

The second change was the sheer multiple increase in the number of people entering and exiting the city gates. While mortals formed the majority, there were also numerous cultivators present, ranging from early-stage Qi Refining up to Foundation Establishment. Yet, these people still queued respectfully to enter. The soldiers guarding the gate had been replaced by two unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, the uniforms they wore—predominantly black with striking red accents—made Lei Dong subtly flinch. This was the standard attire for disciples of the Myriad Ghost Cave.

Having been away for nearly two decades, the changes were indeed substantial. Lei Dong felt a touch of emotion; those two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators must be disciples who had advanced within the last twenty years. In the past, the Myriad Ghost Cave had few Foundation Establishment cultivators, barely able to muster Qi Refining cultivators to rotate guard duty. Now, the Myriad Ghost Cave truly possessed considerable financial might. In fact, even before Lei Dong’s departure, the Myriad Ghost Cave was already on an upward trajectory with excellent development momentum.

Lei Dong’s displayed strength of "late-stage Foundation Establishment" immediately drew the attention of other Foundation Establishment cultivators, causing them to steal glances before their expressions turned solemn and they quickly averted their eyes. The reason was simple: with their cultivation, they could not discern his true strength, only vaguely sensing the powerful pressure emanating from him, leading them to deduce he was at least a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Such "formidable" figures were naturally not dared to be scrutinized too closely; who knew what temperaments such individuals possessed? In the cultivation world, countless conflicts leading to injury or death had erupted merely from staring too long.

It was the two early-stage Foundation Establishment disciples of the Myriad Ghost Cave who exchanged a glance before personally stepping forward. They clasped their hands respectfully, speaking without arrogance or subservience: "We are disciples of the Yinsha Sect’s Myriad Ghost Cave, Junior Li Xi and Qin Yun. Greetings, Senior. May we dare ask your esteemed name?"

Myriad Ghost City, with the rise of the Myriad Ghost Cave, had gradually prospered, seeing an influx of traveling cultivators. Consequently, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had established a large marketplace within the city, which was now flourishing, with business growing steadily. Sometimes it was just like that: the better a market performed, the more buyers and sellers it attracted. Rogue cultivators, clans, and various minor sects wandering the Yinsha Sect territory slowly began favoring Myriad Ghost City for procurement.

This meant the marketplace controlled by the Myriad Ghost Cave provided a stable source of income for them.

Where many cultivators gather, trouble is bound to arise in various forms. Therefore, the Myriad Ghost Cave made a point of conducting cursory checks on incoming cultivators, especially the powerful ones. Of course, these were only cursory checks. If someone insisted on causing trouble or fighting within Myriad Ghost City, the currently strengthening Myriad Ghost Cave was by no means easy to provoke. Even if they couldn't handle the situation, the Yinsha Sect stood behind them. In short, few dared to seek death by causing disturbances here.

Lei Dong observed them with a flicker of interest. These two disciples carried themselves well, showing no disrespect to the Myriad Ghost Cave due to his apparent superior strength. However, to personally experience the current changes in the Myriad Ghost Cave and to subtly check on his parents, Lei Dong decided to temporarily conceal his identity. He returned their salute politely: "My two brothers, greetings. This humble one comes from the Great Ding Kingdom; my surname is Ding."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Li Xi and Qin Yun became exceptionally respectful. The reason was simple: the Myriad Ghost Cave boasted a legendary senior sister who was now a peak Core Formation expert, and that senior sister happened to hail from the royal family of the Great Ding Kingdom and also bore the surname Ding. After the two nervously confirmed with Lei Dong that he was not an envoy from his senior sister’s family, they visibly relaxed slightly, yet remained profoundly respectful.

In reality, the surname Ding was the national surname of the Great Ding Kingdom. Among the sixty million inhabitants, at least a million bore the name Ding, many of whom were nobles and even royal kin. With accumulated power, status, and wealth, many naturally pursued the path to eternal life. Due to various advantages, quite a few individuals had entered cultivation, though most remained stuck between the second and third tiers, merely adding a few minor cultivation families to the realm.

Clearly, the two young men mistook Lei Dong for a cultivator from some established cultivation family within the Great Ding Kingdom. In this world, cultivation families were as numerous as the hairs on an ox; no one could possibly know them all. Seeing them skillfully and respectfully prepare a temporary identification token for Lei Dong and instruct him on the rules within Myriad Ghost City, they allowed him to pass. Although Lei Dong was technically jumping the queue, not a single person dared to utter a word of complaint, for in this world, the weak are prey and the strong command respect.

Over these twenty years, Myriad Ghost City had undergone repeated renovations, and Lei Dong found most of the streets utterly unfamiliar. He had to spend a low-grade spirit stone to purchase a map from a broker before locating his parents' residence in the city. This entire sector had been designated a critical zone by the Myriad Ghost Cave, reserved exclusively for the families of core disciples. Outsiders were strictly barred, with one Foundation Establishment cultivator and a contingent of Qi Refining cultivators maintaining rotating shifts for security.

To avoid alerting anyone, Lei Dong entered with his aura fully suppressed, his heart pounding with anxiety as he flew into his family's opulent residence. It was dinnertime; the courtyard blazed with light. Inside the Lotus Pond Pavilion, a lavish banquet was laid out, where four figures were engaged in lively conversation and convivial toasting, attended by numerous waiting maids.

This scene caused Lei Dong to pause momentarily. His own parents, he recalled, were not ones for such ostentatious displays. However, it wasn't a major issue; given their current standing, his parents’ treatment was surely comparable to secular royalty—they could have whatever they wished.

When Lei Dong focused his gaze from a distance, he was surprised again. Among the group at the table, besides his parents, the couple who were the parents of Wan Yan—the Prince of Zhennan and his consort—were also present. Seeing his parents, though aged, looking robust and radiant, the guilt in Lei Dong's heart eased slightly.

The four were deeply engrossed in pleasant conversation, addressing each other as in-laws. Despite the Prince and Princess of Zhennan holding noble titles from the Great Ding royal family, they were quite cordial and warm toward Lei Dong's parents, showing not a hint of arrogance. His parents, having lived comfortably and seen much over the years, were equally poised and uninhibited.

As the conversation flowed, it inevitably turned back to Lei Dong. Of course, they only knew he was away on a sect mission that required a long absence. They then sighed, lamenting that the young couple had been unproductive, having yet to produce a single son or daughter. This prompted both sets of elders to muse wistfully that when Lei Dong returned, they must hasten him to provide a grandchild.

Lei Dong managed a wry smile before instantly appearing within the pavilion. Before the four elders could react, he dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing low: "Your unfilial son, Lei Dong, greets Father, Mother, Father-in-law, and Mother-in-law."

"Dong'er?"